Prologue - Max POV ~ MC Female
Keep it together.
I stare blankly as my brothers exit the room.
Keep it together. Hold your smile.
My eyes go to the woman on my right for a split second. The mere sight of her is enough for my slow heartbeat to almost stop. What the hell am I going to do?
Keep it together. Hold your smile. Don’t look at her.
Looking back at my brothers, I see all three have just stepped outside the room, all three pairs of eyes looking at us. Derek’s eyes, curiously enough, are set on the woman, no trace of frustration left in them. Since I’ve known him, his eyes have always said the truth that his mouth cannot. It may annoy him when I say it, but it’s a trait I’ve always admired of him. His honest eyes.
And speaking of eyes, Alex’s are the most insistent, demanding that I look at him. When I relent and gold meets gray, he pins me with his stare, promising to not let go until I answer his question. The way he stands, arms crossed and the tension on his shoulders, as well as the squint in his eyes as he examines my face. All of them are a clear sign of his worry and a vow to intervene if I so much as hesitate to answer him.
Do you want to do it?
He’ll do it. If I say no, hesitate, or show fear... he’ll take my place. And honestly, it’s a very tempting offer.
But with just one glance at Jere’s face, I know I can’t take Alex’s offer.
I can’t take away that joy from him, that excitement he feels knowing he has helped another person. It’s written all over his face. More so knowing his big brother has supported him, as always.
And I’ll first be stranded alone on the sea than take that away from him.
So, I will do the only thing I know. What I am best at.
I’ll hide behind a smile and lie.
Instantly, Alex’s stance relaxes, and his eyes soften. He believes me.
Just before Father closes the door, I see the teasing smile Alex shoots at Derek and how the latter, feeling Alex’s stare, avoids his eyes at all costs. And Jere’s bright smile as he’s lost in his thoughts, surely thinking about how he’s happy we got to help this person.
My smile gets easier to hold just by looking at them.
“Maximillian,” Father’s voice yanks me back to reality.
“Yes, Father,” my voice responds on its own.
“Do you remember the first step?”
“Giving her my blood.”
“Normally, yes,” he corrects me. “But in this case, given the state of her injuries, it will be best to clean and close those wounds.”
There’s a glass of water on Father’s desk. I take out my handkerchief, wet it on the water, and walk back to the woman.
Father stands a few steps behind me as I start cleaning the woman’s arms. And the more dirt I remove, the more cuts appear on her arms with only just a few bruises.
Looking closely at the cuts, it’s obvious they’re no mere accident. Someone did this. As for who, I’ve no the slightest idea. But nevertheless, I’m curious. Why would someone end up like this?
No, now that I think of it... I don’t care. It’s not my business.
When her arms are as clean as necessary, I lift up her shirt just enough to clean the deep cut on her belly.
Now, this is more serious...
I’m no expert, but I would bet she was stabbed. A quick thrust with a knife or dagger. But it’s strange, now that I look at it closely, it’s not that deep nor cutting anything important. Could she had survived if we had reached her sooner?
Would she be out of my life now if I had found her just a little bit sooner?
My eyes drift to her face. Unconsciously, I clean her cheeks and forehead.
This face. From now on, I’ll be seeing this face every day. Every single day.
Her eyes remain closed. What color could they be? I swear if she has those same wretched eyes...
“That should be enough.”
Father’s voice startles me. I spring back towards the desk, feigning that my intention was to clean my handkerchief with water.
When I turn back, Father’s kneeling beside her, most likely examining her injuries.
“Did you notice?” he asks.
“That those cuts don’t look accidental?”
“And what else?”
“And it looks like she was stabbed. The wound is not that deep, almost as if it was not meant to be lethal.”
“Perfect,” I smile a little at my father’s compliment. “What a mystery, don’t you think? To know what happened to this girl. But I am more worried at what this implies.”
I know what he means. “Someone is after her.”
He nods. “We cannot be sure until she confirms it, but it could be possible. I’ll give instructions to Alexandre to be alert until she wakes up, in any case. Better to be safe.”
I nod, take a breath, and walk towards them again. Father stands up and gestures for me to kneel beside the sofa.
“Close those wounds with your blood,” he says.
Trying not to think much, I rip open the skin of my index finger with my nail. My cold blood slips slowly from the cut.
“You will need more than that to close the bigger wound.”
I make another cut, deep and longer, on my palm. My blood flows more freely and constantly now. I place my palm on her arm, spreading my blood all over her skin. Then, the other. Lastly, I make a fist and let my blood fall over the cut on her belly.
When I open my hand again my wound has disappeared, as well as all her cuts.
“Your blood has come into contact with hers. Now, she has to drink your blood.”
I make another cut on my hand, letting my blood slip between her lips.
“That’s enough,” Father says, and I take back my hand. “It’s time you drink her blood. Do not take much, or else she won’t survive.”
I was dreading this moment.
Don’t think. Just do it.
I lean in, not daring to look at her face again, close my eyes, and bury my face on her neck. And before my head has a chance to think, I sink my teeth into her skin.
I barely took a sip before I was forced to back away.
“What was that?” I blurt out as I stand up and take a few steps back.
What the hell? That never happened before. That thrill, that feeling, that connection. It never happened before, not even when Father turned me into a vampire.
“That’s what a vampire feels when turning a human into their creation.”
No. I did it. No. No. No.
I fucking did it.
What am I gonna do? I’m stuck with her. For fucking eternity.
“You’re not alone, Maqueas.”
Father’s voice brings me back, his face full of worry. Damn, now I’ve made him worry. I’ve let my mask fall.
“We are with you. I am with you. You won’t be doing this alone.”
I nod and gulp, trying to forget the blasted taste of her blood. Why does her blood have to be so...
“I’m sorry, I’m fine. It’s just... It just dawned on me. All this.”
He doesn’t respond, blink, or look away.
With slow steps he walks to me, standing right in front of me. Before I can do anything, I feel his hand on top of my head.
Even though our skin is cold, my senses tell me his touch is warm. Warm, reassuring, and protective. He has always felt like this to me.
“I know you can do this, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone.”
My heartbeat returns to its slow and almost imperceptible rhythm. I didn’t even realize it was beating fast before.
When he’s sure I’m okay, he takes his hand back from my head and goes to the door. I walk towards the woman and carry her in my arms, just like Jere did before. I turn towards the door, and Father opens it.
Derek’s nowhere to be found. But Alex and Jere are standing there, waiting for us.
Seeing both of them calms my mind. Father is right. I have them. All of them.
I’ll be fine.
Looking at Jere’s smile, I know I can’t let him down. So, I have to be fine for them.
Even if I lie to myself.
